2014-05-29 - Aftermath to Earth and Fire
The location: a street doctor's studio. A row of beds, each with a little tattered frame that keeps a bit of privacy for each patient. Not many patients at the moment, but there's always someone who needs a bit of love. It looks like a place that was set up in someone's apartment and could be moved in an hour's time. The reality is that it takes much less time than that; something the owner's had to find out many times. Amber is laying in a bed when she wakes up. She has no IV drip, nothing that complex. Just a glass of water near the cot and a person sitting nearby, very quiet but with asian features and complex eyes. Amber groans softly as she awakens, slowly sitting up.. "where.. am I?" the young woman blinks a couple of times, as she sits, her muscles, such as they are, bulge with the strain, for a moment, before a ripple visibly runs through her form, relaxing some as she telekinetically takes the strain... She turns to look at the quiet girl, tilting her head slightly.. "H..hello there.. um.. What's your name? I'm Amber.. How did I get here?" Cassandra Cain reaches and takes the cloth from Amber's forehead as an older woman appears over the partition. The lady says "Ah, you're right. She is waking up. Your questions in a moment, how do you feel?" She, the older woman, has a very doctorish feel to her even though she wears normal clothing; slacks and a warm shirt. "I promise to answer your questions, let's just make sure you're okay first, please?" Cassandra Cain says nothing at all, it's all the older lady. For her part she just puts the cloth away. Amber frowns a moment, noticing the silence of the younger woman, and she looks to the older, "I..I'm okay.. wish I hadn't tried to sit up like that though.. It's a mistake I always make when I first wake up though.. " closing her eyes a moment, the slender girl breathes slowly, carefully. "What.. other sort of thing.. did you want to know from me?" Leslie says, "I'm Leslie Thompkins, and this is my clinic," as she looks Amber over. The woman very quickly looks into Amber's eyes then, unless stopped, at her fingernails and wrists. "I believe introductions are very important when people meet for the first time, and I'd very much like to know why exactly you're so very weak that you can't sit up without hurting." The woman seems genuinely concerned. Cassandra Cain is sitting quietly. She's watching and not being involved; you don't mess with a doctor when they're working. Amber 's wrist, indeed her entire body is little more than skin and bone, her nails are ragged, quite a mess. "I see.. um.. nice tomeet you miss Thompkins... I've always been physically weak, as far back as I can remember.. Having to survive on what I can steal or otherwise acquire.. well, that hasn't helped my health.. I barely get enough to survive." and evidently it's been slim pickings for her lately, there's no way she's been eating enough, judging from the muscular atrophy. Leslie says, "To answer your other question, you were dropped off here by someone I was definitely not expecting, who is waiting for you to wake up. Not this one." She motions idly towards the asian girl. The woman doesn't seem to need further inspection of the little lady's body at this point. "I, can at the very least get you some soup. My patients don't die because of a little hunger." She doesn't wait for permission, but she does make absolutely sure that Cassandra is on watch before slipping off to handle that task. Cassandra Cain crosses her legs on the chair seat. She waves her left hand high, motioning to someone who's behind the curtain. Still not talking. Kara Zor-El waves a bit as she peeks her head in. "Hey. Heard the patient wake up. I hope it's okay that I got some sandwiches Dr. Thompkins." Yep. "From this place called Subways." She walks over to Cassandra. Amber hmms, nodding faintly, "I see.. Thank you miss.. I must admit I am.. well, starving." as the doctor departs, she looks around, smiling faintly as she sees Kara.. "Um.. hello there.. I guess I should introduce myself.. I'm Amber.. were you the one who brought me here, miss?" Leslie Thompkins, fully aware of Supergirl's fame, sniffs with a bit of amusement and bows Kara past her to the patient. "I want her eating only small amounts until her stomach grows, she's been allowed to eat too little for too long and overeating now would simply make her sick. Sandwiches are welcome and travel well, should Amber decide to leave soon." She goes to fetch the soup, not commenting further quite yet. Cassandra Cain has slipped out of the chair while the attention was turned away and gone around the partition. She's quick and very quiet. Kara Zor-El hands over a sandwich to Cassandra, then walks over to Amber. "Supergirl. Or you can just call me Kara. We sort of met once - those four elemental-based metahumans? Remember?" She looks at the sanwich when Leslie explains about why Amber shouldnt eat too much right off the bat. "Oh. Sorry... I don't really er... get hungry anymore so I didn't know." She pauses and starts eating one of the sandwiches, then swallows the biteful and says, "Maybe you can eat a small bit of this one?" She sniffs. "It's this fish called tuna. It's really good, actually." She looks at Leslie again. "Or just keep it for later?" Cassandra Cain returns in time to take the sandwich from Kara. She was only gone for a moment. Amber nods, just faintly.. "I remember.. It's nice to meet you, Kara.. Those creeps really ruined my day. " she sighs a moment, her stomachgrowling quite loudly. "I.. perhaps I'd best do as the doctor says.. No Doctor's ever steered me wrong before.. though it has been years since I last saw one.." she closes her eyes, a tear rolling down her cheek. Ms. Thompkins slips off into the kitchen to get the soup that she promised. She needs a moment to do so, being just a normal human after all. When she returns she has a plastic bowl and a spoon. "Tuna does not last in this heat, it would be best to eat it before it spoils, Miss Kara. You met each other over some incident?" Her voice is crisp but kind. "I'd very much like it if you could eat all of this and stay at least overnight, Miss Amber. There are a few places and phone numbers I can give you. Not many in this area, but the do exist." Cassandra Cain takes a couple of bites out of her sandwich, looking around the room at the others here. There are two other patients, neither of which looks extremely well nourished, and she looks down at her sandwich as if maybe she could find a better use for it than to eat it herself. Kara Zor-El hands out a sandwich to each of the other two patients as she talks to Amber, "How long have you been living on the street, by the way?" Amber nods, listening attentatively to Ms. Thompkins and she manages to smile softly as she opens her eyes, "I'll try to eat it all... And... staying overnight.. Well, it's got to be better than sleeping rough, right?" she starts, slowly to eat the soup, one soonful at a time. As she eats though, it is clear that her arm muscles are limp as a boned fish. she's not even trying to lift the spoon using them, instead puppeteering her body using telekinesis. "What.. sort of places do you mean? They don't have problems.. with mutants.. do they?" At Kara's question, amber turns to the Kryptonian, before answering.. "Nine years... ever since.. My parents were killed.." Ms. Thompkins puts her hands on her hips, aged but strong. "I have no problem with mutants, and anyone on my lists who does will have to deal with me. People may be able to stand up to Supergirl, but they have yet to invent a stubborn lunatic who I can not make see the light of day, young lady." She raises her chin slightly, then nods as she watches Amber eat. "Excuse me, I have to check on my other patients. If you need to use the ladies room or a bedpan, let me know or one of your friends can assist." Cassandra Cain nibbles at the crumbs of her sandwich...she ate it all and didn't even notice she was doing so and now she feels guilty about it. Kara Zor-El peers over at Amber. "Oh yeah, your DNA -is- mutant, isnt it." She thinks, looking at Cassandra briefly. Yeah. Kara can see DNA. She looks back at Amber. "Actually I know this institute ... sorta like a school actually ... that helps mutants. I took a friend of mine there once and she seems pretty happy now." Mental note to self, Kara - check to see how Siobhan is doing at the Xavier Institute. "I have this friend, Bobby, who's one of the teachers there. I could see if they could take you in. If you want?" Amber hmms softly, drinking another spoonful of the soup carefully, and as Kara continues to talk, she listens carefully.. "A.. school? " there's a slight look of worry on the young woman's face at this thought, "I.. well, I haven't.. actually been to school.. since I started living on the streets.. But.. do.. do you really think they might be able to help me? I'm.. pretty good with my powers.. but.. to have a place.. where I could live.." Kara Zor-El nods. "Yeah. They take in mutants who are homeless, or were having trouble with their parents, or can't control their powers, or just... you know... don't know where they belong. Bobby teaches... I think he said math there. He's a mutant also though." She nods. "But yeah, I don't want to talk for them, but I'm pretty sure they could help you. Or at least give you a room there to live. They're nice people. Well.... I mean... they did initially turn their security system on me but I'm sort of used to people getting all nervous around me now. They've long since stopped that and I'm actually friends with a few of them there now." The answer Kara gave Amber intrigues the young woman, and she closes her eyes a long moment, going quiet... "I see." drinking some more of the soup, she is doing quite well, and making a point to not drink it too fast. "It.. might be worth asking, at the very least.. To.. have a home again.. after so long.." Ms. Thompkins is helping her other patients, whispering to them in the same crisp, efficient tones that she used to help Amber. Apparently she has little time for fooling about but does her work with a firm hand and a huge heart. The place looks temporary, as if it moves around often. When the woman returns to hear the last bit of the conversation, she looks Cassandra and Kara over similarly to how she'd inspected Amber upon arrival. A doctor's eyes. "It might not hurt, Amber. I don't know who the asian lady is, she wasn't introduced, but Kara has a slight reputation for good deeds. I'd trust her judgement if I were you." Cassandra Cain blinks as if startled, but not at the right time. Not when Leslie is talking to her, but before that when she's being looked over. She actually blushes and lowers her eyes a little. Kara Zor-El smiles a little. "It's probably more my cousin's reputation that I'm getting the benefit of, but yeah. It definitely can't hurt." She walks back over to Cassandra and sits by her, eating her sandwich. She doesn't get hungry. It doesnt mean the girl doesn't like to eat. Amber nods faintly, "Alright... Then no harm can come from looking into the possibility.. Please.. if you can.. I would appreciate it. It's.. not often really anyone goes out of their way for me like that." Ms. Thompkins waggles a finger at Kara, firmly and not smiling. Not angry either though. "I know my mind Miss Supergirl. You are a symbol to all women and I meant to say so. Your brother is a great man and no mistaking it but you are your own person. Don't you dare denigrate your achievements in my hearing, you and all women like you stand as worthy symbols for the girls in this world to grow up to be like." She waves towards Amber, not dismissing the person for the statement. Kara Zor-El 'meeps' a bit. As in she almost literall squeaks out a 'meep' sound before swallowing her bite of sandwich. "Yes ma'am." she says when she's told how she better not downplay herself. Cassandra Cain is kind of glad she didn't say anything this time. She looks around the room for a way out of this lady's way. Amber chuckles softly, and she hmms a long moment.. "Do.. you know at all what happened to the woman those creeps were attacking? She.. fell into the alleyway, I tried to make a shield of rubble to protect her from further harm.. " Ms. Thompkins looks slightly mollified by the reaction and nods. "Good. We need more heroes. Though I personally prefer peaceful solutions myself. I didn't get anyone else turned in from your altercation,Amber, so rest as long as you need. I have work to do. Ladies." Cassandra Cain looks from Leslie to Kara, then back to Amber. Then to Kara again, and opens her mouth to say something. Closes it again. She shakes her head as if to clear it and mouths "Wow," behind Leslie's back. Kara Zor-El murmurs to Cassandra, "I thought only your boss did stuff like that." then quickly smiles if Leslie is looking her way. Even gives a little wave. "Um... so anyway... most of them were brought in for questioning about who hired them to kill Cassandra. I was actually going to go to pay them a visit also in case the didnt get anywhere." Amber blinks, tilting her head, "Cassandra? Is.. that the name of the young woman? I didn't know.. I just didn't want her to be hurt any more.. " There is some confusion in Amber's voice.. Cassandra Cain raises her right hand after Amber responds to Kara. She's just sitting in the chair, legs crossed, being good. "Hi," she says with her odd voice; just the one syllable and that said very quietly. She wets another cloth and puts it on Amber's forehead. Amber blinks, and she looks to Cassandra, "Oh... um.. Hi there.. So.. you're.. okay then? I'm sorry I didn't see you in time to catch you.. That fall must have hurt." now Amber actually finishes the soup, carefully. "Thank you.. for this.. with the cloth.. " Really, the homeless girl isn't sure what to say, so she's blabbering a bit. Cassandra Cain waits for Amber to finish talking, looking between Amber and Kara. She has this bemused expression on her face. Then she shrugs, pointing to her eyes and then back at Amber and shakes her head, saying, "I...don't...understand," with her voice gravelly and slow. Every word comes out with an audible pause. Amber umms, indicating the cloth on her head that Cassandra placed there.. "I'm sorry.. if you cannot understand me." The slender girl sighs, closing her eyes a long moment, before yawning, she's growing quite tired. Cassandra Cain catches the facial expressions of tiredness. That, at least, she got. She gets up and steps away from the bed, nudging Kara. "Sleep," she suggests toward Amber. That's about it though, she's not really gotten a lot of new info tonight. Amber nods, laying back.. she's asleep almost before her head hits the pillow.